"Been There Before"Print Page 
Two plaques commemorate the centenary of the publication of Banjo Paterson's poem Been There Before. The poem describes a stranger visiting the town of Walgett.
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson OBE (17 February 1864 – 5 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales, where he spent much of his childhood. Paterson's more notable poems include "Waltzing Matilda", "The Man from Snowy River" and "Clancy of the Overflow.
Location
| Address: | Fox Street (Castlereagh Highway) , Alex Trevallion Rotary Park , Walgett, 2832 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -30.034473 Long: 148.115768 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Culture |
| Sub-Theme: | Community |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1895 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1985 |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 16th September, 1995 |
|---|
Plaque :
In Celebration of the
CENTENARY
of the Publication in
' The Man from Snowy River
and other Verses '
of
BANJO PATTERSON'S (sic)
'BEEN THERE BEFORE'
Unveiled by
His Excellency Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair A.C.
Governor of New South Wales
on
16 September 1995.
K. M. Ryan General Manager
J. S .C. Campbell Mayor
J. J. Austin Chief Executive Technical and Emergency Services
Plaque :
"BEEN THERE BEFORE"
There came a stranger to Walgett town,
To Walgett town when the sun was low,
And he carried a thirst that was worth a crown,
Yet how to quench it he did not know;
But he thought he might take those yokels down,
The guileless yokels of Walgett town.
They made him a bet in a private bar,
In a private bar when the talk was high,
And they bet him some pounds no matter how far
He could pelt a stone, yet he could not shy
A stone right over the river so brown,
The Darling river at Walgett town.
He knew that the river from bank to bank
Was fifty yards, and he smiled a smile
As he trundled down, but his hopes they sank
For there wasn't a stone within fifty mile;
For the saltbush plain and the open down
Produce no quarries in Walgett town.
The yokels laughed at his hopes o'erthrown,
And he stood awhile like a man in a dream;
Then out of his pocket he fetched a stone,
And pelted it over the silent stream --
He had been there before: he had wandered down
On a previous visit to Walgett town.
BANJO PATERSON
